Can someone with Alzheimers/Dementia remember their past if they are constantly and consistently shown home videos and photos saved from their 10+ year old phones?

Question

I’m wondering if someone that has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or Dementia, say an 80 year old person can slowly not forget who they are and their close family members IF they were to constantly view and watch videos that they themselves filmed throughout their lives?

I don’t know the nature of these diseases but I’d imagine they may be able to recall old memories if they were to see videos that they filmed themselves from say their original 2007 iPhone or 2010 iPhone 4.

While we’re at it, what about certain scents such as a perfume or cologne from an old high school flame?

In: Biology

Answer 1

So, while that can help in the short term, it’s not a long term cure. The brain stops working correctly, and while you can use things with strong memory associations to try and help it remember, it’s sort of like trying to use a bucket to keep a sinking boat from going under. If there’s too much water going in, the bucket may slow down the sinking, but not stop it completely.